Stockport County Football Club have unveiled plans to expand their historic Edgeley Park stadium as part of a bid to return to the Championship.
The League Two club, who are owned by local businessman Mark Stott, are aiming to increase capacity to around 20,000 seats by constructing a new East (Railway) Stand and South (Together) Stand. Edgeley Park's current capacity is 10,900 seats.
The North (Bergara) Stand would also be expanded to run the full length of the pitch. The club added that there are no plans to expand the Cheadle End Stand.
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A new East Stand would increase capacity from 1,366 to around 4,500 seats and a new South Stand would increase capacity from 2,411 to 6,500 seats.
Chairman Ken Knott said "Edgeley Park has been our home since 1902 and the club has been a key part of the community in Stockport for 120 years.
"With our ambition to play Championship football once again, we’ve got a real opportunity to invest in the stadium and create not just the sporting facilities we need, but to create a ripple effect reaching further into Stockport itself, boosting the town and its economy.
"We know promotion to the Championship will take some time and delivering the emerging plans will also take time; by proposing to deliver new stands in phases, culminating in a final capacity of approximately 20,000 seats, we can reduce the impact on the club and our neighbours, while still playing at home.
"Involving our neighbours and supporters early in the process of designing these expansion plans is very important to us. Our aim is to create excitement and ambition not just within the club, but across Stockport."
Stockport County has committed to two phases of public consultation before they seeks to submit planning applications at the end of the year.
If approved the East Stand would be the first to be redeveloped, provisionally starting in the summer of 2023.
In June, BusinessLive reported that Stockport County owner Mark Stott had cleared the £7.7m debt the club owed him that was used to invest in the then National League side following his takeover in January 2020.
In March, a 250-year lease for the club to play at their Edgeley Park stadium was unanimously backed by local councillors.
Public drop in sessions are being held at the stadium on the following dates:
- Wednesday, September 28: 10am – 1pm, held in the 1883 suite
- Wednesday, September 28: 4pm – 6.30pm, held in the 1883 suite
- Thursday, September 29: 2pm – 7pm, held in the 1883 suite
- Saturday, October 1: 11am – 2pm. Outside the stadium
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